The front of the building is more than appealing, but you don’t really see the charm until you’re inside.
Nestled in the back corner are living quarters, complete with six lockers, a huge television, three smooth leather chairs with foot rests, a dining table just around the corner from a kitchen area and enough bed space for seven people.
Oh yeah, there’s a fireplace, too.
A little more than two months since its new station was built, the Marcellus Ambulance Volunteer Emergency Service is reaping the benefits the $677,000 center brings. They no longer have to share space with the fire department, nor do they have to rent said quarters. In a nutshell, the new MAVES center on Lee Mulroy Road in Marcellus, which had its grand opening in November, is everything the staff and volunteers hoped for.
“We outgrew our old space” at the Marcellus Fire Department, said Stephen Knapp, executive director of MAVES. “We became our own entity in 1996, and completely independent from [the fire department] in 2004. I have to tell you, having this space has been nothing short of excellent.”
Knapp was referring to MAVES being incorporated into the village in 1996.
What really shines is the meeting and training area. Knapp, a state-certified Emergency Medical Technician, and his staff train his paid workers and volunteers right on sight, making the stepping stones to the top a little easier. Instead of contracting out the training, MAVES saves money by doing it in-house.
In the room, there’s a large oval table where the board meets. To the left is the gadgetry that assists the training. Knapp said most of the rooms have double purpose, with the goal of one day being financially independent.
Of the total cost of the building, which has a large three-ambulance garage, $545,000 is financed through a 20-year mortgage. Knapp said that $12,000 has come in through community donations.
“Saving us some money was definitely in our minds,” Knapp added. “A lot of these guys work 12- or 24-hour shifts, so this place gives them a little rest. They can kick back, read the paper and even go in the back and play PlayStation. We need our guys well-rested for a job like this. I have also noticed that the guys would rather kick back together and hang out rather than be apart. I went around and took notes on this kind of stuff before we built it.”
Knapp has been in the industry for 22 years, 18 of which have been spent in Marcellus.
John Randall, a 27-year veteran firefighter and EMT, said the new station is wrought with activity and positivity.
“There’s a lot less tension, I can tell you that,” Randall said, referring to the former digs in the fire station. “It can’t really get more relaxed than this. We pretty much have it all.”
The four bedrooms, Knapp said, allow for a faster response time. With everyone already in-house, Knapp said the response times to calls are much faster.
“We did a lot of homework for this, and I’m confident that everything we do will improve because of the new station,” Knapp added.
Among the other flashy inclusions is a climate-controlled storage area for supplies, a charging station for the vehicles and a special treatment room, which was financed through a donation from the Koloski family of Marcellus, whose son Phillip passed away in 1979 as the result of a car accident.
The room is equipped much like a tiny emergency room, so if there’s serious medical attention needed, the center can handle it in the interim. Also donated was a vital signs machine, from the Welch Allyn Co.
“I’d say we’re now very well-equipped to handle whatever may arise,” Knapp concluded as he rushed out to another call.
